🚀 Stop Writing Nested IFs in Anaplan - Use LIS Instead

Bhumit285

If you’ve built complex Anaplan models, you’ve probably written formulas like this:

IF A 
  THEN  
      IF B 
          THEN     
               IF C 
                 THEN Value1     
                ELSE Value2   
      ELSE Value3 
ELSE Value4

It works.

But it’s slow.
It’s hard to debug.
And six months later… even you won’t understand it.

Let’s talk about why nested IFs hurt performance and how Line Item Subsets (LIS) can dramatically simplify logic and improve scalability.

1.Performance Degradation

Every IF condition forces Anaplan’s calculation engine to evaluate branches repeatedly across dimensional intersections.

If your module has:

• Time (36 months)
• Product (500 SKUs)
• Region (10)
• Version (4)

That’s 720,000 intersections. Now multiply that by multiple nested logical branches. You’re burning compute unnecessarily.

2. Logic Complexity Grows Exponentially

Nested IFs:

• Increase formula length
• Reduce readability
• Increase testing effort
• Make small business changes risky

What starts as simple conditional logic slowly turns into technical debt. And in enterprise models, technical debt compounds fast.

3. Hard to Scale

Business logic evolves.

You add:

• New scenarios
• New drivers
• New allocation logic
• New reporting dimensions

With nested IFs, every addition requires editing the core formula. That’s not scalable architecture. That’s reactive modeling.

The Architectural Alternative: Line Item Subsets (LIS)

Instead of embedding logic inside formulas, restructure the model so logic becomes structural.

This is where Line Item Subsets change everything. A Line Item Subset allows you to treat line items as a dimension. Rather than switching logic using IF statements, you shift logic into dimensional modeling.

A Simple Example

Traditional Nested IF Approach

IF Scenario = "Base" THEN Base Value ELSE IF Scenario = "Optimistic" THEN Opt Value ELSE IF Scenario = "Downside" THEN Down Value ELSE 0

This works until a fourth scenario is added. Now imagine five more. You’re constantly editing formulas.

LIS-Based Approach

Step 1: Create line items:

• Base Value
• Optimistic Value
• Downside Value

Step 2: Create a Line Item Subset from those line items.

Step 3: Create a mapping module linking Scenario to LIS.

Step 4: Use a simple LOOKUP:

Source Module.Value[LOOKUP: Scenario Mapping]

No branching.
No complex condition trees.
No fragile logic.

The model structure handles the variation, not the formula.

Why LIS Improves Performance

Using LIS:

• Reduces conditional recalculation
• Leverages dimensional computation (which Anaplan optimizes efficiently)
• Improves formula simplicity
• Enhances calculation parallelization
• Makes logic data-driven instead of hard-coded

Anaplan’s engine is built to handle dimensional operations efficiently. Architectural modeling always outperforms formula complexity.

Real-World Use Cases Where LIS Shines

LIS is powerful in:

• Driver-based allocation models
• S&OP planning
• Scenario comparison models
• Provisioning logic
• FP&A variance bridges
• Cost allocation frameworks

Whenever you find yourself switching between similar line items using conditions, pause.

Ask:

“Should this be dimensional instead?”

When NOT to Use LIS

LIS is powerful but not always necessary.

Avoid it when:

• There are only one or two simple static conditions
• The logic is unlikely to evolve
• Performance impact is negligible

Thank you for Reading!

~ Bhumit

bhagawat12345

Very nice bhumit